Martha Will Tomlinson Hughes

Martha Will Tomlinson Hughes of Laurel, Mississippi, passed away on Friday, July 17, 2015. She was 78 years old. A memorial service will be held at Memory Chapel at 4PM on Monday, July 20, 2015, with burial at Lake Park Hills Cemetery. Visitation is at Memory Chapel on Sunday, July 19, 2015, from 5PM until 8PM, as well as the hour preceding the services on Monday. The first part of Martha's life was spent in the state of Georgia growing up all around the Okefenokee Swamp. She was born in 1937 in Homerville, and spent her early years growing up in the little town of Argyle. Attending nearby Homerville High School, she took a shining to a skinny boy named Wesley, and the two high school sweethearts were married the year after they graduated. Rarely ever apart from each other, they were just a few months shy of their 60th wedding anniversary. In 1966, the family left Georgia and was transferred to Crosby, Mississippi; and in 1973, moved to the other side of the state to Laurel. Martha had gone to Ware County Jr. College in Waycross, Georgia, and had worked a few office jobs over the years, but her real love was raising her three boys and being a homemaker who absolutely loved cooking and gardening as well as being active in quilting and garden clubs in all her hometowns. She had been a member of Argyle (Georgia) United Methodist Church, and she and Wesley were long-time members of Crosby (Mississippi) United Methodist and Franklin United Methodist Church in Laurel. Everyone will mention first her great cooking, but she will be remembered most for her quiet and sweet kindness. Friends will also say something about the hundreds and hundreds of angels that she'd collected over the decades - and now we know she was just rounding up a group of them that would be there ready to meet her. She was preceded in death by her sons Will and Wade Hughes; parents William "Tommy" Tomlinson and Willistine "Jimmie" Tomlinson; father-in-law and mother-in-law Warren "Big Bill" Hughes and Anilu Hughes; maternal grandparents Willis and Addie James; paternal grandparents Enoch and Ada Tomlinson; brother-in-law Jack Allison; and sister-in-law Delma Hughes Raulston. Martha is survived by her husband of 59 and a half years, Wesley Hughes; son Wess Hughes of San Francisco, California; sister Mary Tomlinson Williams and her husband Joe Williams of Tallahassee, Florida; sister-in-law Sara Hughes Allison of Columbia, South Carolina; and brother-in-law Jim Raulston of Buena Vista, Georgia. Also surviving her are nieces, nephews and their spouses, children and grandchildren - Cindy and Russell Jackson and Patrick Botting of Willow Springs, North Carolina; Merica, Bobby, Greg, Brittany and Greg Coffman of Tampa, Florida; Shannon, Randy, Chandler and Madelyn Gay of Dublin, Georgia; Marlita and Bryce Peters of Tallahassee, Florida; Mylon, Brittany and Brantley Joseph Peters of Tallahassee, Florida and Shaun, Heather, Lyza, Ian and Aza Raulston of Buena Vista, Georgia. Pallbearers for her services are Danny McLeod, Josh Norcross, Mike Ruffin, Barry Tyson, Gordon Ward and Dal Williamson. Honorary pallbearers are all the men and women of Franklin Forum Sunday School. Rev. David Slaughter and Rev. Chris Klingenfus will lead her memorial service. Her family is very appreciative of all the staff, nurses and doctors at Comfort Care for all of their extremely kind and attentive care over the last few months. The family asks that those who prefer memorials in lieu of flowers to consider a contribution in memory of Martha to either the Building Fund at Franklin United Methodist Church or to the Pinehurst Room Building Fund at the Laurel Little Theatre.

Martha Will Tomlinson Hughes

February 22, 1937 - July 17, 2015